The Big Picture - by Friday Okwori

She suffered from a severe blood condition. The first diagnosis she got was menorrhagia, followed by haemorrhoids and a few other things. She had performed a variety of diagnoses, each with a different outcome. How can a treatment be proposed if scientists can't even agree on the cause of a disease? She was a guinea pig for medical researchers and practitioners for a decade and a few years. She had visited nearly every medical facility and specialist, both local and foreign, in the previous twelve years. The cutting-edge technology and equipment at these medical institutions gave her confidence that she would be alright, but she was mistaken. Even science fails. She was emotionally depleted. Her money was also gone. The cost of medical tourism alone was exorbitant. She had to pay for consulting as well as drugs, which are not free, even in government institutions. Her parents originally absorbed the medical expenditures, but it completely destroyed them. They were taken aback by the ailment because, as a little child, she had no history of illness. Her parents were already retired and lived off their pensions and savings, so paying her bills was hard on them. There isn't much known about her. According to the few people who knew anything substantial about her, the sickness also took her marriage. They had only recently married when it all started, and all her husband's efforts were futile. He couldn't take it any longer and literally took his stuff and walked away. He was gracious enough to provide her with a house and a lot of money. She was broken because a mystery illness had snatched everything she had. Various 'spiritualists' took advantage of her in an attempt to restore her health. They took advantage of a desperate and naive lady. Anointing oil, holy water, sanctified handkerchief, stickers – she had them all. They convinced her that these objects were powerful enough to heal her on their own. Some of them even claimed that she needed spiritual surgery, which included many rounds of unprotected sex. Some of what she did are better left unimagined. She became utterly alienated from everyone at some time. It was evident that she would have to ‘wear’ her burden alone. She was, to put it mildly, depressed. She spent a lot of time on the internet to console herself. On one of those instances, she came across a religious community. She didn't want anything to do with any group, but this one seemed real. She joined one of the groups devoted only to health issues. They talked a lot about faith and the Healer, but they didn't talk about their disease. Not to suggest they didn't have the ailments, but finding answers was more vital. People shared incredible testimonies about how they were healed, and some of them sounded impossible. Her condition was daunting but not hopeless, there is a clear difference. Surprisingly, they all shared one trait: faith. Regardless of how it was said, faith is the mechanical belt that keeps the engine running. Forget engineering jargons; all you need is faith and as little as a mustard seed is enough. The amazing thing about a faith transaction is that you are always certain that the other party (The Healer) will not default, therefore it all depends on you. Faith is seeing the big picture. The big picture is looking at the solution and not the challenge. She had been in that community for months, and her faith had been strengthened. It was time to act, for faith without works is dead. She was out for a stroll one day when she noticed a crowd forming. A well-known clergyman was passing by. Because of her health, she couldn't usually stand in a crowd, thus this one didn't pique her interest. She was ready to go her own way when she heard a voice tell her to approach the gathering. The voice then instructed her to approach the preacher. She couldn't tell whether it was faith or folly. She began to cry as she remembered everything she had lost as a result of this ailment. She also saw a big picture of a person who was completely healed, and her face lit up with delight. She desired the latter, so she painstakingly pushed her way through the mob to the healer. She convinced herself that all she needed to do was touch the helm of his garment. She persisted, and it paid off; she was healed. Her story quickly went viral and made headlines. She had become the big picture. Faith did! Article is culled from The Woman with The Issue of Blood’s Story in the bible (Luke 8:40-47).

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